Vivid Vannam tales

Subashini Pathmanathan

Vannam is one of the Kandyan dance forms. Sometimes Vannam is called as Vannama. And this is the latest inclusion in the dance form. There are altogether eighteen Vannams in the Kandyan dance, each Vannam is based on separate theme. The inclusion of Vannam in Kandyan dance provided a scope for Nrithya movements in Kandyan dance.

Originally all the Vannams were in the form of recitations. Most Vannams describe the behavior of the animals such as elephants, monkeys, rabbits, cobra, cocks and birds. With the passage of time the dancers adopted these for their dancing by adding music as background songs for Vannams. It is a custom that the dancers should learn to perform all these Vannams before they would be gifted the Ves costume. The word Vannam was derived from the Sinhala text Varnana. According to the ancient Sinhala text earlier, the Vannams were used to sing only. Later they were used to the solo dance, each reveals one dominant idea.

Folk beliefs

The Kandyan King Sri Weeraparakrama Narendrasinghe gave full support. Generally the Vannams are based on numerous themes. It is based on nature, history, legend, folk religion and folk beliefs. There are many similarities in the terminologies among Vannams, Bharatha Natyam and Kathakali. Each Vannam is based on separate imaginative themes. First Vannam is Gajaga Vannam, It is based on a particular legend. It deals and explains Airavana, an elephant in a cool water of a lotus tank. The majestic movements of the elephant inside the pond, and the frolic strides movements of the elephant.

Majestic steps, turns and twists are very much depicted in this vannam. This Vannam is the most attractive Vannam. Next Vannam is Nayandi Vannam. This Vannam is totally based on a Jataka story. According to the story Bodhisattva was born as a princely Naga, in the world of Nagas. One day when he was near the banks of the Yamuna river, one snake charmer captured him and made the Naga to dance to his tunes.

He ill treated the princely Naga and made a good fortune by displaying his dances before the king and the country. The snake charmer's movements are reflected in the dance a little, but the snake movements are reflected more. Sarpa Sirasa, the hand gesture is used in this dance. This particular hand gesture is quite common in Bharatha Natyam and Kathakali. In Bharatha Natyam the Naga Narthanam is a special dance which depicts the dance of the Cobra dance. In Bharatha Natyam the single hand muthra Sarpasirasa, and the joint hand Muthra Naga Bandha Muthra, depict the Naga.

Ornament varieties

Next is the Kirala Vannam, This depicts the general movements, and the movements of the Kirula birds, including the movements of searching food, hopping from tree to tree. While the dancers dance, they wear red and black bands around the neck. Next Vannam depicts activity of a war hero, named Bandulla. It describes and depicts the sound of the swords, sound of shield, spears and clubs, when the army marches in the war field.

Among the Vannams another Vannam is Udara Vannam which describes the royal parade. The king adorn, himself with 64 varieties of ornaments, while takes part in the State procession through the city with the music.

Fivefold instruments provide music to this parade. Another Vannama is based on a folk tale; one cunning tortoise cheated a Lion, by making the lion to look into a deep well. The lion mistook his reflection for another lion, and trying to catch his reflection, he fell into the well. And ultimately the lion perished. This story imparts the truth that the humans should always use the foresight ness, and forethought before they involve in any action.

Seventh Vannama is the Hanuman Vannam. In this Vannam the dancer pretends the actions of the monkeys. In this Vannama the monkey's attitudes are very well displayed through the movements by jumping from tree to tree. The dancers dress themselves as monkeys with wrinkle face and jutting eyes. But presently this particular Vannam is not at all practised.

The eighth Vannam is on God Ganesha, in this Vannam the dancers invoke the blessings from Lord Ganesha. Next Vannam is Kukkuda Vannam. It reveals it's gentle and slow movements, and it is based on a theme .It is based on the story of Skanda puranam, that there was a turmoil between the Asuras and Devas. At last Lord Skanda born and entered the battle field with sword and spear and fought with the Asuras, at the end. one of the Asuras was split into two which became a cock to serve the Lord Skanda.. Another Vannam is again based on the divine Hinduism. It is based on the Sakara God. According to this Vannam Lord Sakara, Lord Brahma, Visvakarma, and Lord Iswara, blew the horn, and the lute. Iswara means Lord Shiva blew the conch before the King of the Universe.

Next Vannam is the Vairodi Vannam which gives the descriptions of the palace of God Iswara (Lord Shiva). Mayura Vannam is the next Vannam. The theme of the Vannam is that about the peacock Vahana (vehicle) of Lord Murugan the presiding deity of the Kathiragama temple in the South of Sri lanka. The Singhalese people believe in the Lord Kathiragama. They believe that Lord Kathiragama is the war God. The Myura hand gesture is used in Bharatha Natyam and Kathakali to depict the peacock. But in this Vannam Lord Skanda of Kathiragama is described as the war god because of the long spear in his hand with that spear he pours the blessings to the devotees.

Happy march

Turanga Vannama praises and sings the adventures of Kantaka, the steed of prince Siddhartha was led by Canna. The three marched happily, until they come to a halt by the river Anoma. At that movement Kantaka leaped and crossed the river with the prince, Canna clinged to the tail of Kantaka. The divine born Kantaka was blessed by prince Siddhartha. Other Vannama is a victorious dance of lord Iswara after he finds the Goddess Uma.

It is based on a theme. Once Lord Iswara was highly worried, because he did not find Uma.

The God disguises himself and went searching for her, at last he found the Goddess Uma, and he was overjoyed. This dance depicts vigorous firm and majestic movements.

Next is Musaladi Vannama. (This dance has the influence of Tamil word Musal. In Tamil Musal means Rabbit).

In this Vannam the dancer imitates the movements of a Rabbits, Imaginative movements of the Rabbits are well depicted in this dance, hiding with fear, jumping, running in a zig zag manner, and hopping. At the end the Rabbit takes rest under the moon light.

Another Vannam about two Hawks. In this Vannam the two Hawks were flying leisurely and floating in the sky, they look like two tender buds, growing out of the same seeds.

At last the current of the wind made them to come down like an arrow, and they picked small fish from the water pond. Next is Naga Vannam it depicts one day life of a Cobra.

It shows the how the Cobra crawls on the floor of the court halls and also it depicts how the cobra emerges out of the hole and how the Cobra raises the hood out and faces different directions. This depicts movements of the cobra.